Over 300 people visited the opening day of the Union County Farmers Market on May 6, 2023. Deerinda Cooke, the new manager, kicked off the market with a flourish of musical entertainers and Smokey, the Bluetick Coonhound mascot.

Get it while it lasts! As fall approaches, with its promise of cooler weather, it brings with it the end of our beloved Saturday morning farmers markets. Located in the newly constructed pavilion next to Union County Highschool, this quaint little market carries a robust variety of goodies for shoppers. Catering to all ages, from 0 to 100, there is something for everyone!

By Helina Bailey
Union County Farmers Market is excited to host their first Farm to Table event! The Summer Harvest Dinner will feature an eight-course meal, highlighting produce from local farms and featuring beef from Seven Springs Farm to Table.

As of May 28, the Pavilion at Heritage Park, better known as the Farmers Market, is completely ready for use. From the lights in the rafters to the natural concrete floor, the place exudes practicality with a festive twist.
The stage, back dropped with a gigantic American flag, was framed by the cedar siding on the back wall. Commissioner Danny Cooke from the Union County Opry welcomed hundreds to the pavilion to eat Buddy’s Bar-B-Q and enjoy music by Flashback and Authentic Unlimited.

With the budget issues resolved, the regular Union County Commission meeting on June 28 covered a special recognition, a contract extension, and some 20 pages of FY 21 budget clean up to close out the fiscal year.
Mayor Jason Bailey awarded Carson “Eddie” Thompson a plaque for his years of dedicated service as the Veterans Service Officer.

Join us on Saturday, May 22, as the Union County Farmers Market kicks off our Nourish Kids program. This will be the second season that the market has partnered with Nourish Knoxville to present this program. Through a grant, Nourish Knoxville has been able to assist markets like ours throughout East Tennessee, providing materials and Produce Bucks making this program possible.

You may have noticed that the farmers market is accepting applications for a manager, an assistant manager and a demonstration chef but, it is also the time of year to turn in your vendor applications. Perhaps you have wondered if the Union County Farmers Market is the place for you – we think you’ll agree that it is!

County Commissioner Debra Keck enlightens us regarding the Joint Economic Community Development Board (JECDB) and their current and upcoming plans and projects. I have known Debra Keck for years as Mayor Mike Williams’ assistant, and we interacted often, especially when working together on functions of the Chamber of Commerce and as members of the JECDB. Recently, Keck and I discussed the progress being made in Union County.

At the November 2020 Budget & Finance Meeting, Chairman Larry Lay and the other members of the Union County Budget and Finance Committee along with Mayor Jason Bailey noted that all Union County Government Commission and Committee meetings scheduled for December are being postponed to January due to concerns over the pandemic and no urgent business to conduct.

With energy, enthusiasm, and vision, the Union County Farmers Market, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, applied for a Tennessee CARES Act Grant with a very limited window of opportunity.
The vision was for Union County farmers to be able to sell their end-of-season produce as a food product that was produced in a commercial kitchen.

During the mayor's report, Union County Commission received the first visual of the farmers market at the regular October meeting. Mayor Jason Bailey commented that from Highway 33, the building would look like “a big barn with barn doors and the name, Union County Farmers Market.”

We all know that farmers markets, or your own garden, are the best place to pick up fresh fruit and vegetables, but did you know you can learn a lot while at the market? Check in at the Union County Farmers Market information booth when you arrive, as the “Farmers Market Fresh” program has returned to the market.

The 2020 season at the Union County Farmers Market will be an exciting one, as changes are in the air. Not only does the market look a little different as everyone tries to follow public safety guidelines during this pandemic, there will be other changes in 2020.

Double Up Food Bucks, a SNAP Doubling Program, Kicks Off in Union County on Saturday, August 3.

Maynardville – The Union County Farmers Market and Seven Springs Farm to Table farm store are excited to announce the kickoff of the Double Up Food Bucks (Double Up) program on Saturday, August 3rd in partnership with Nourish Knoxville and the Tennessee Department of Health.

Summer is in full swing at the Union County Farmers Market. The market is located in Wilson Park and open on Saturdays from 10am – 1pm. Our new Saturday hours allow our farmers to harvest early on Saturday morning bringing you the freshest possible produce. We hope the later hours will also encourage you to take advantage of the food trucks that are joining us! Enjoy a snack, breakfast or lunch.

An outdoor farmers market, like the Union County Farmers Market at Wilson Park, is a wonderful place for a family outing. It should be fun for everyone and a fabulous learning experience for your children. The variety of sights, sounds and smells at the market automatically engage your child’s senses and are a fun way to foster curiosity, teach important skills and encourage them to think about where their food comes from. A few ideas to help you get started on a family outing to the market follow.

Fall Creek Apiary was started by Richard and Pat Hunt. They are beekeepers and own 8 hives, which hold about 60,000 bees each. They are originally from Florida and moved to Tennessee to retire. They harvest their honey from spring to July, to bring delicious, local honey to our market. They hope to continue increasing their bees to have a total of 25 hives. Stop by their tent at the market and you will meet Richard and their son John. They would love to educate you on beekeeping and honey.

Joannah Kadron, age 10, from Papa's Happy Hollow Farm is promoting her egg sales and National Egg Month each Saturday in May at Union County Farmer's Market. May 13 she demonstrated how to make a simple healthy breakfast kids could make for mom on Mother's Day, or any day just for fun. It included deviled egg sail boats on a lake of salad greens with mom's favorite fruit on the side. On the 20th she will demonstrate making an egg salad rollup, a kid friendly snack for Healthy Kids Day.